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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25490434">temporary happiness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutmars/pseuds/falloutmars'>falloutmars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Brief Fake Relationship, F/M, Fluff, There's a party, a then/now story, and an investigation, angst angst angst, friend of a friend to friends to lovers, senior year au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:07:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25490434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutmars/pseuds/falloutmars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that some people only enter your life as a temporary happiness.”</em>
</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>or, they meet, they investigate, they fall in love.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Betty Cooper &amp; Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, brief veronica/archie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>8th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>temporary happiness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is my first attempt at writing this style with the present and past tenses. my past tense needs work i think, but i enjoyed writing this and i hope you enjoy reading it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that some people only enter your life as a temporary happiness.”</em>
</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>He wasn't meant to become her everything. He was just meant to be a fling, a high school fling during senior year. She wanted to have some fun with the people she would soon be leaving.</p>
<p>She never meant to hurt him.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Betty has known Jughead for most of her life. They grew up together and shared mutual friends, but their paths never fully crossed. He was simply a classmate, a friend of a friend, never anything to do with her.</p>
<p>That was until everything changed.</p>
<p>It was the beginning of senior year. Betty found herself at the party of none other than Cheryl Blossom. Invited as a plus one through Veronica, she thought <em>why not, </em>dressed up to the nines, and snuck out using the ladder oh-so-conveniently propped up outside her bedroom window.</p>
<p>Parties weren’t really her scene. She wanted to like them, she really did. Especially with college coming up. But… there was just something that didn’t sit well with her. Maybe it was the act Cheryl put on, maybe it was that she could just <em>see </em>through everyone’s fake personas, or maybe it was the way Veronica left her as soon as they walked through the grand gates of Thistlehouse.</p>
<p>Tugging on the hem of her too-short dress, she wobbled on the only pair of heels she owned towards the party.</p>
<p>The first person she saw had to be Cheryl. Of course it did.</p>
<p>“Cousin!” she yelled, attracting the attention of a group of strangers hovering in the hallway.</p>
<p>Betty could feel their gaze on her and she hated it. She wished she could turn around, head home, and pretend none of this ever happened. But she couldn’t. They were circled around her.</p>
<p>So she played along. With a fake smile.</p>
<p>“Hi, Cheryl.”</p>
<p>An arm wrapped around her. “I am <em>so</em> glad you could make it, dear.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and only served to piss Betty off even more.</p>
<p><em>You didn’t even invite me</em>, sat on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down. Instead, she said, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” A lie, of course.</p>
<p>A knock on the door meant Cheryl didn’t bother replying, far too interested in who else she could torment. The group around them followed her like minions, thankfully leaving Betty to sneak off.</p>
<p>She wandered into the kitchen in search of Veronica, although in the back of her brain, she knew it was unlucky she’d see her friend again this evening. Nor Archie, who no doubt found Veronica before she did and pulled her upstairs.</p>
<p>She did find a drink, though. A can of unopened cider in the midst of half-drunk and empty bottles. Some kind of sign, she thought distantly, picking it up and heading elsewhere.</p>
<p>Much of the house was locked, out of bounds for such event, so Betty was forced into the back room, doors pushed open to reveal the garden, where she knew she’d find large groups of people out there, no doubt staring at her, so she took a swig of liquid courage and did her best to be like them.</p>
<p>Outside – if you could call Cheryl’s <em>covered</em> backyard outside – was cold. And busy. Filled with her fellow classmates, both from her grade and the grade below for some goddamn reason, and an actual fucking DJ.</p>
<p><em>Hardly what a college party will be like</em>, she thought to herself.</p>
<p>As expected, a few eyes fell onto her as she wandered through the area. Mostly those who had expressed their surprise to see her in something other than a pastel jumper.</p>
<p>She shrugged it off and headed towards a few girls she recognized from Vixen practice.</p>
<p>She never reached those girls, though. Her path was intercepted.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry,” a quiet voice mumbled as a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders to stop her from toppling over.</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” she replied instantly. As her eyes locked with the person who nearly knocked her over, she realized who it is. “Jughead?”</p>
<p>“Oh, uh, sorry, Betty.”</p>
<p>After years of being acquaintances and whisperings through the school, she knew enough about him to be shocked to see him at a party. If she thought she didn’t like them, she knew Jughead Jones hated them even more.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” she said without thinking. His face turned into a frown, and she immediately scolded herself for judging someone she barely knows, muttering what she hoped was a sincere, “Sorry.”</p>
<p>He shook his head, seemingly remembering where his hands were as he snatched them away. “Actually,” he said with a thick swallow, “can you help me?”</p>
<p>And that’s how it started.</p>
<p>Jughead was at the party for investigative purposes. He knew Betty was the editor in chief for the Blue &amp; Gold at school. So they teamed up.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Looking back, Betty doesn’t know why she agreed. She barely knew him, didn’t really have any interest in investigating potential drug dealings within their grade, nor did she have any idea where to start.</p>
<p>But she was lonely, she wanted to fill a void inside of her. And a part of her, she thinks, knew what was going to happen.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“Why are we going upstairs?” Betty whisper-asked, eyes wandering around the parts of Thistlehouse she’d never been before.</p>
<p>“Because, Betty,” he whispered back, tugging her by the hand, “that’s where they come. To… you know.”</p>
<p>“To <em>what? </em>Deal? Fuck? Jughead do you know what you’re doing?”</p>
<p>He sighed, leading her to a thankfully empty room. “<em>Yes</em>. Now here’s what’s going to happen.”</p>
<p>He took her through his so-called plan. He’d pretend he wanted to buy, heading into the room he’s <em>so sure</em> the dealings are taking place, wearing his Southside Serpents jacket.</p>
<p>“I’m not a member,” he shrugged. “They’re my dad’s gang.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care,” she told him truthfully. Because she really didn’t. She knew from her time working at her parents’ newspaper that they weren’t a dangerous gang. Drugs at best, little violence, barely a gang. Even if they were a quote-unquote <em>proper</em> gang, it’s his life, not hers. She knows better than to judge.</p>
<p>He needed her to keep watch outside the door, signal if anyone came up the stairs. She could do that. At least it would keep her busy for a little while.</p>
<p>It all went to plan to begin with. Betty leaned against the wall just outside of the suspected room, pretending to scroll on her phone so she didn’t look too suspicious. She mainly kept an eye on the staircase to her left, thinking the corridor to her right would stay mainly quiet.</p>
<p>Oh how wrong had she been.</p>
<p>It could have been anyone. Any of the Vixen’s, someone she didn’t know, hell, even Cheryl.</p>
<p>But, no. It was Veronica and Archie.</p>
<p>“B?” she heard from behind her.</p>
<p>She spun around, quickly typing out a text as the pair stepped towards her.</p>
<p><em>Veronica and Archie.</em> <em>Think I can stall them but hurry.</em></p>
<p>“Uh, hi.” She put on her best fake smile, praying her best friend doesn’t notice her apparent nerves.</p>
<p>Archie stood wordless, an awkward gap left between him and Veronica. It was like they thought Betty was stupid. She didn’t need to be told they were hooking up. It was obvious from the way her best friend’s hair was ruffled, not in its usual flawless state. Archie, on the other hand, always looked scruffy, but his general aura gave them away.</p>
<p>“What are you guys doing here?” Betty asked, sending Veronica a knowing look.</p>
<p>There was an awkward silence. One she did not particularly feel like filling. And apparently neither did Veronica or Archie. She noticed them glance at each other, and she almost wanted to laugh out loud. </p>
<p>Luckily, her phone vibrated in her hand. </p>
<p><em>You go,</em> it read. <em>I’ll meet you outside.</em></p>
<p>So she did exactly that. Her friends didn’t seem to care about her half-assed excuse, and quite honestly, she was pleased. Not in the mood for Veronica’s games. </p>
<p>Jughead did in fact meet her outside just a few minutes later.</p>
<p>“Not good,” he whispered as not to attract attention. “We’ll have to try another way.”</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“I should’ve stopped then,” Betty says, tears rolling down her face. She runs a hand over the top of her head, tugging her ponytail slightly when she gets to it. She hates her ponytail, she hates that she still has it, but mostly, she hates that he likes it.</p>
<p>He’s pacing around her room. Her too-pink room that’s just a little too Alice Cooper for her liking. It doesn’t represent her – hell, Jughead knows that – but maybe it’s who she <em>should’ve </em>been. </p>
<p>“If it means anything,” he mumbles, avoiding her gaze, “I’m glad you didn’t stop.”</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>A few days after the hellish party, Betty found herself with Jughead again. He’d texted her asking to meet, and she agreed. Perhaps stupidly, perhaps because she’d potentially just lost Veronica as a friend and needed anyone she could get. That anyone just happened to be Jughead. Right place, right time.</p>
<p>(Or maybe right place, wrong time.)</p>
<p>She invited him to the Blue &amp; Gold office. He told her that he wanted her help again. Of course that was what it was about. The investigation. 

He said they needed to get into Reggie’s locker. She said she would help. </p>
<p>That night, she spent hours researching picking locks, practiced on her diary’s stupid lock and her bedroom door until she was confident enough. She didn’t know why she was doing it, the practicing. Maybe some distant part of her brain wanted to impress him.</p>
<p>And boy did she impress him. </p>
<p>It was after school hours, after everyone went home, when they snuck in. They didn’t need to break in – apparently, Honey left the door unlocked at night – and headed straight to the lockers. Jughead tried and spectacularly failed to pick the lock on Reggie’s, looking over at Betty with a frustrated sigh.</p>
<p>She smiled and pulled a bobby pin out of her ever-present ponytail. “Let me.”</p>
<p>He nodded, but she could tell he was reluctant. </p>
<p>With no trouble at all, she picked the lock, exposing the contents of the locker. </p>
<p>“Where the fuck did you learn to do that?” he said, his voice almost a growl. A slight blush covered his face, and Betty felt a strange triumphant pang. </p>
<p>Instead of responding, she started sifting through his locker, leaving Jughead standing still in a bit of a haze.</p>
<p>“C’mon,” she urged, “Help me out here.”</p>
<p>“Right. Sorry.”</p>
<p>Reggie’s locker wasn’t as helpful as they’d hoped. Sure, there were drugs. Nothing <em>bad</em>, just jingle jangle. But nothing indicating the whereabouts of his drug collection.</p>
<p>“Maybe it’s him,” Betty suggested, holding up a handful of the weird paper straw drugs. “He <em>does</em> have a lot of these.”</p>
<p>Jughead hummed contemplatively. “I don’t know. I mean, a Bulldog? Really?”
</p>
<p>“Who keeps a load of drugs in their locker, anyway?” She sighed, shoving them back and slamming the door.</p>
<p>“Shh!” he urged. He leaned against the lockers, throwing his head back with a metallic thud. “Fuck.”</p>
<p>Betty giggled at that. “So, Reggie, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I don’t know. Maybe.”</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“Jug, please sit down.” Her voice comes out as a plea. Seeing him pace is stressing her out. She knows what this conversation is going to do, and she thinks the least she owes him is some kind of eye contact. </p>
<p>She can’t whisper it into the void.</p>
<p>With a curt nod, he perches himself on the edge of her bed. </p>
<p>It’s not unfamiliar to have him on her bed, but it feels different this time. The times they’ve spent together here – whether it was in a sexual way, or just talking – are now all tainted. Tainted by what’s about to come.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Their investigation continued. They had to find evidence that it was or was not Reggie. </p>
<p>It wasn’t easy at all, and so it meant Betty spent a lot more time with Jughead. As much as they were thrown together in that strange moment, they got on surprisingly well. It took some time for her to break through his outer shell, but once she did, she got to know the true Jughead, one she didn’t think anyone else truly knew. </p>
<p>She found him at the perfect time, too. As one person faded from her life, he came into it.</p>
<p>Losing Veronica was not something she was ever prepared for. Part of her knew it was coming. Their friendship had become strained since the summer, and she thought it was down to Archie.</p>
<p>But then Jughead came along. She did not mourn the loss of her best friend as much as she could, perhaps <em>should’ve</em>, because of him.</p>
<p>And that’s how it started. Them.</p>
<p>As the weeks rolled by, they threw themselves into the investigation. Betty got into it, and in fact, she really enjoyed it. She enjoyed investigating and she enjoyed spending time with him. </p>
<p>She found herself wanting to spend time with him outside of the investigation.</p>
<p>One evening, they were at Pop’s, discussing what to do next, when she started wishing this could be a date instead.</p>
<p>“…another party. It’s a good chance, I think, if you’re up for trying again.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “Right. Yeah,” she said, letting her sadness seep into her voice.</p>
<p>Of course, he caught on. He knew her well now, he knew her well enough to know when she was feeling down, or distracted, and he knew he couldn’t ignore that. “Betts, what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>The tears started falling then. “Do you ever just…” she sobbed, “…wish it could be different?”</p>
<p>He tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “Me and you. Us. This.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he whispered, gaze dropping from her to the table. </p>
<p>Perhaps stupidly, she expected him to say something else. When he didn’t, it hurt more than it should’ve.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>He refuses to look at her. His eyes seem fixed on her night table, but maybe that’s just a distraction so he doesn’t have to meet her eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” she says, biting back tears. “I’m sorry, Juggie.”</p>
<p>They hadn’t had the conversation yet, so she wasn’t sure why she’s apologizing. No doubt she’ll apologize a million times before inevitably watching him walk away. </p>
<p>She’s thought about this moment many times. She’s thought about what she'll say, the angry things he’ll spit back, but she never imagined the melancholy silence between them.</p>
<p>She wanted to be prepared, but how could she prepare to break her own heart?</p>
<p>–</p>
<p><em>Shall we go together?</em> he texted just half an hour before the party. <em>I can pick you up.</em></p>
<p>She’d been laying on her bed, annoyed and frustrated. She wanted to wear something to impress him, something to make his head turn, but she couldn’t find anything she deemed good enough.</p>
<p>(<em>Does Jughead even like girls?</em> she thought bitterly. <em>Does Jughead even like </em>me?)</p>
<p><em>No</em>, she typed in response to him. <em>I don’t want to come.</em> She didn’t press send. There wasn’t any point in getting angry at him. It wasn’t like this was a date. They were purely going for investigative purposes.</p>
<p>Throwing on an old yellow dress on, she texted back a quick <em>yeah</em>. </p>
<p>He turned up twenty minutes later on his motorbike, parking down the road and texting her instead of attracting Alice’s attention by pulling up onto the Cooper driveway. She sneaked out and headed down the road to their normal meeting place.</p>
<p>“You look beautiful,” he murmured, handing her his helmet. He hopped back on his bike almost immediately, so he missed the light flush that spread across her face at his comment. </p>
<p>Once they arrived at the party, it was in full swing. They managed to look normal, like they fit in, as they wandered into the kitchen to pick up red cups filled with lemonade to be used as props before they headed upstairs.</p>
<p>The plan was the same as before. Betty to keep watch, Jughead to gain intel whilst wearing his Serpent jacket.</p>
<p>It went swimmingly. No one passed her, and he was in and out within minutes, a mischievous grin on his face. </p>
<p>“We’re almost there, Betts.”</p>
<p>“What did you– Fuck.” </p>
<p>Archie and Veronica were walking towards them. Again.</p>
<p>“Betty,” Jughead urged, tugging on her arm, “kiss me.”</p>
<p>Before she got a chance to think it through, she was nodding, allowing for him to push her up against the wall and connect their kips.</p>
<p><em>What the fuck am I doing?</em> she thought as footsteps came towards them. <em>Fuck, he’s a good kisser but what the </em>fuck<em>?</em></p>
<p>“Betty?” Veronica exclaimed. </p>
<p>She wanted to stop kissing Jughead. No, scrap that. She didn’t <em>want</em> to stop kissing Jughead but she felt <em>weird</em> about (fake) making out with him in front of her (ex) best friend. </p>
<p>But his grip on her tightened. His lips moved expertly against hers, and she swore at one point she felt his tongue trace the seam of her lips. </p>
<p>Melting into it more than was probably acceptable, her own hand found the suspenders that surprisingly rested on his shirt instead of hanging down out of reach.</p>
<p>“Betty!” Veronica practically yelled, shocking both Betty and Jughead apart with slight gasps. </p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“That day,” Jughead mumbles, still avoiding her eyes, “I knew you were it.”</p>
<p>“Jug–”</p>
<p>He shakes his head, holding his hand up to get her to stop. “No, Betty, let me.”</p>
<p>As she nods, she realizes he wouldn’t see her. </p>
<p>“I knew you were it.” He takes a deep breath. “I never… thought of anyone in that way before. I just– I just knew I wanted to kiss <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p><em>Yeah,</em> she thinks, <em>me too.</em></p>
<p>“No one else ever crossed my mind in that way.”</p>
<p>Without even saying what she had to, her heart breaks. It gets ripped out at <em>his</em> words, his words that are true for her about him, too. Her heart gets torn out, leaving a gash in her chest where it should go. It gets dropped, it gets thrown, it gets trodden on until it is nothing other than specs covering the floor. </p>
<p>As if it could get any worse, his eyes meet hers. They’re glassy, they’re watery, they’re filled with hurt. </p>
<p>“I know what you’re going to say,” he says softly as tears fall down his cheek.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“Veronica!” Betty said, a hint of real surprise mixed in with what was mainly fake. She grabbed Jughead’s hand, hoping he didn’t mind. When he squeezed it, she decided he didn’t.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know–” Veronica gestured between them “–this was a thing.”</p>
<p>Once again, Archie stood wordless next to her. He didn’t meet Betty nor Jughead’s eyes, and quite frankly, it was awkward as hell.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Jughead grinned, ignoring Veronica’s look of disapproval. “But then why would you?”</p>
<p>Betty stifled a laugh. He’s <em>right</em>.</p>
<p>“Whatever,” Veronica said, rolling her eyes. “Come on, Archiekins, we’re <em>going</em>.” Tugging on his arm, his eyes went wide as she practically dragged him away.</p>
<p>“Good riddance,” Betty giggled, sending a wave to their backs. </p>
<p>Dropping her hand as soon as they were out of view, Jughead looked over at her. “Phew,” he said through a smile before launching into a spiel about his findings in the room.</p>
<p>She tried to listen, she really did, but her brain was too focused on what had just happened. They <em>kissed</em>. No, they didn’t just kiss, they practically made out. And, yeah, so maybe she wished it was real, maybe she wished she could do it again, but it was <em>fake</em>. 

Purely for investigation purposes.</p>
<p>(Or at least, that was what she told herself.)</p>
<p>She got half the story. </p>
<p>Apparently, Reggie was there, as expected. He gave Jughead a quote-unquote <em>price list</em> and the number of someone from the Southside.</p>
<p>“He must’ve seen the jacket,” he said, “so that’s why I didn’t get his number. We’re so close, Betts, we’ve almost got him <em>and</em> someone else.”

“Yeah,” she agreed weakly. </p>
<p>“Hey.” His voice was soft, his hand finding her shoulder. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>She nodded slightly but could tell he knew it was a lie.</p>
<p>“Let’s get you out of here.”</p>
<p>She nodded again, only this time with more conviction. She did want to go, and she especially wanted to go with him.</p>
<p>He took her hand again, leading her out of the house and down the road to where his bike was parked. </p>
<p>Wordless, she took his helmet and climbed behind him, trying not to let the tears she so desperately wanted to fall. But with her arms wrapped around his waist, they did. She hated the closeness, she hated that she craved it in a different sense. </p>
<p>He didn’t take her home like she thought he would. He took her to his trailer. </p>
<p>She’d never been before. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, he was embarrassed, she thought. Of course, she’d never judged him for where he was from. She didn’t care about that. Their differences never mattered to her. </p>
<p>Still without a word, he led into the trailer, dumping his keys and helmet on the worktop. </p>
<p>Betty looked around. It was nice. He definitely kept it clean and tidy.</p>
<p>“Is your dad in?” she whispered, perching on the edge of the ratty sofa.</p>
<p>He shook his head, swallowing audibly. “He doesn’t live here anymore.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>Jughead didn’t respond. He seemed as equally stuck in his thoughts as she was. </p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“I don’t…” <em>I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t want to do this.</em> None of the words come out.</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” He takes her hand in his, biting his lip in an attempt to fight back the sob in his throat. His thumb gently caresses the back of her hand. “It’s okay,” he repeats.</p>
<p>She isn’t sure if he’s trying to convince her or himself.</p>
<p>Maybe both.</p>
<p>It isn’t, though. It isn’t okay. She knows it; he knows it. </p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“Jug,” she said, grabbing his hand as he walked past her, “talk to me.”</p>
<p>He sighed. And as he did, his shoulders dropped as if it lifted a weight off of him. “I can’t, Betts.”</p>
<p>“Try.”</p>
<p>With a short nod, he sat down next to her, making a point of gripping onto her hand. He rested it on his thigh, fiddling with her fingers. “And I brought you here to comfort <em>you</em>,” he said with a hollow laugh. It wasn’t funny, not at all, but it was all he could come up with.</p>
<p>She smiled anyway. “I’d rather you tell me what’s wrong. Is it the case?” </p>
<p>“No. No, but yes,” he shrugged. His eyes were focused on her hand, perhaps as a tactic to avoid her gaze. When she stayed quiet, he spoke again. “It’s… case-adjacent.” </p>
<p>She knew where this was going. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to have to face the truth. The truth of her own feelings, the truth of his, and if there was any way of moving forward. </p>
<p>A second hand moved to hold hers, and he looked over at her, eyes meeting for what felt like the first time. “I like you, Betty.” A pause. “It’s taken me a long time to admit that to myself but it’s <em>true</em>. It’s true and it’s terrifying.”</p>
<p>“I–”</p>
<p>He shook his head no. “You don’t have to.”</p>
<p>Instead of replying with words, she brought her spare hand up to cup his face, and leaned forward to connect their lips. It felt so much better than the first kiss. He kissed back almost immediately, keeping one hand gripping hers and the other clutching the base of her neck. </p>
<p>She melted into it, melted into the feeling of him, of his lips moving against hers, of his hands holding her. She hoped she managed to portray every emotion, every feeling she felt for him into that kiss. And with the passion he kissed back with, she thought she succeeded. </p>
<p>They pulled apart with an audible pop, massive grins on their faces.</p>
<p>“In case it wasn’t obvious,” she giggled, “I like you, too.”</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“I love you,” she says with a sob. </p>
<p>“I love you, too.” Floods of tears fall down his face. “What’s the problem?” A tiny glimmer of hopefulness shows in his voice, a hope that there <em>isn’t</em> a problem, that their love is enough.</p>
<p>Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.</p>
<p>She wants to reach up and wipe away the tears. She wants to tell him it <em>is </em>enough, that they’ll make it work. </p>
<p>But she can’t. </p>
<p>She has to be truthful. </p>
<p>She takes a deep breath. </p>
<p>“I never thought I’d love you this much.”</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>In between stories and theories, they snuck kisses. They snuck kisses like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Time rolled on around them, neither caring about it anymore. They had what they wanted, what both of them had been too scared to ask for. It was reality now, even with a lot still left to talk about.</p>
<p>They liked each other. That was enough.</p>
<p>(It wasn’t, though, not really. Not with tonnes of baggage left to sort through, both together and individually.</p>
<p>But it was enough for now.)</p>
<p>Around 2 am, Betty found herself stifling yawns. </p>
<p>“I should probably,” she started, sighing slightly, “start heading home.”</p>
<p>“Stay. Please stay.”</p>
<p>That was all the confirmation she needed to climb onto his lap and press her lips to his with no pretense between them. Her hands moved expertly to undo his shirt buttons, sliding his suspenders off of his shoulders as she went. In turn, his hands found the zipper of her dress, tugging at it after she nodded her consent. </p>
<p>She wasn’t tired anymore, she didn’t want to go home. All she wanted was him. </p>
<p>They didn’t move off of the sofa. Their clothes formed in a pile on the floor of the living area, instead of scattered neatly across her bedroom floor as she once allowed herself to imagine. It was perfect this way, she was sure of it.</p>
<p>The feeling of him against her, him inside of her, felt better than she ever thought it would. </p>
<p><em>I love you</em>, she wanted to say. But she didn’t.</p>
<p>Afterward, they moved to his bedroom for the night. She laid with her head on his bare chest as he drew tiny hearts on her shoulder. </p>
<p>“I don’t want to ruin the moment,” she whispered, “but I need to know, Jug. What does this mean for us?”</p>
<p>He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I want to try, if you do too.”</p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p>Once she was sure he was asleep, she whispered, “I love you, Jughead,” into the darkness of the room.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>He stands up, tentatively stepping backward away from her. “What the fuck does that mean?” he spits, sadness immediately turning to anger.</p>
<p>She sighs and buries her head in her hands. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs. </p>
<p>“No,” he snaps. “Tell me what you mean.” He starts pacing again, this time each step is loud and heavy, more like a stomp.</p>
<p>“We were never planned, Jughead. It was, I don’t know, some kind of twisted coincidence. I never meant to fall in love.”</p>
<p>He stops in his tracks, facing away from her. “But you did,” he says in a small voice. </p>
<p>She lets out a breathy laugh. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>They did try. Their relationship, to the surprise of them both, felt more natural than anything else. He filled a void in her life and he filled it with love. </p>
<p>They went on more dates. They spent even more time together. Almost every waking (and sleeping) minute, she wanted to spend it with Jughead. Their investigation only got more interesting when it was filled with added flirtiness and stolen kisses, and the nights always ended up in the bed of his trailer. </p>
<p>(What Alice didn’t know couldn’t hurt her, Betty decided, finally enjoying herself and having fun behind her mom’s back.</p>
<p>Her idea of fun, though, ended up with her falling in love. That was not part of the plan.)</p>
<p>But… there was always something unsaid between the two of them. Always a missing chat about <em>what next?</em> or <em>how will we make it work?</em> It tainted their relationship, in a way. The relationship Betty never expected to have. </p>
<p>The first time he told her he loved her she was shocked. She knew she loved him, she knew from before they’d even kissed, but she’d never expected him to love her back. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to. Hell, of course she did. It just complicated things beyond belief. </p>
<p>No longer was this just a senior year fling. No, this was <em>real</em>.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“I don’t understand, Betty,” he frowns. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” He spins around so he’s facing her, looking her dead in the eye as he speaks. She can tell he’s looking for an answer now, looking for the truth she isn’t sure she wants to give.</p>
<p>“Jug, I think you do.”</p>
<p>He nods. “Yeah.” Walking over to her, he kneels down in front of her, taking her hands in his. He presses a kiss on both before leaning his forehead on them. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she sobs. She throws her head down to rest atop his, wishing with everything she has that this could be different. Her brain cruelly imagines an alternate reality where he’s on his knees, on <em>one</em> knee, for a different reason. (The tears only fall harder.)</p>
<p>“I do,” he says, muffled voice. “I shouldn’t have let you fall in love with me. I shouldn’t have fallen back.”</p>
<p>She moves back, using her hands to force him to look at her. “Hey, listen. I fell in love with you for <em>you</em>. Because you’re amazing, okay?”</p>
<p>He shakes his head disbelievingly. </p>
<p>“Yes, you <em>are</em>.” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “And one day, you’ll make someone very happy.”</p>
<p>“But that isn’t you.”</p>
<p>Fuck. She wasn’t expecting that. But he’s right, in a way. In a twisted way that she can’t help but hate.</p>
<p>“It… <em>was</em> me. Just not forever.”</p>
<p>He nods then, not making any effort to stop the tears from falling. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>As he stands up, he leans down and presses a featherlight kiss against her lips. “Thank you for our moment of happiness,” he whispers, no bitterness or anger left in his voice. </p>
<p>And with that, he’s gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>first thing's first... i'm sorry. yeah. the ending, i know. i <em>tried</em> to resolve it and end it happy but honestly, this just fit best. i am sorry though. i do hope you enjoyed reading it regardless – i'd love to hear your thoughts. kudos and comments are very appreciated as i live on ao3 emails.</p>
<p>thank you for reading!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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